Steering and motor-controlling mechanism for automobiles.



'0. SCHMIDT. I STEERING AND MOTOR CONTROLLING MBGHAIUSM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

A PPLIOAT ION FILED JAN. 15, 1906. RENEWED JU Patented Jan. 11,1910.

TOR,-

UNITED STATE$ ormon.

'erating the throttle and the spark con- CHARLES SCHMIDT, 0E CLEVELAND, 01110, ASSIGNOR r0 run PEERLESS MOTOR can COMPANY, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, A conrorm'rron or was]: VIRGINIA.

STEERING hm; MOTOR-CONTROLLING MECHANISM roe AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 15, 1906, Serial No. 296,105. Renewed June 10. 1907. Serial No. 378:28'2'.

and Motor-Controlling Mechani'sin for;

Automobiles. of which the following" is a.

full, clear, and exact description, reference f being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to the mechanism for controlling an explosive engine on an automobile, audto the convenient (.0111bll\:}-'

tion of such mechanism with the steering 'mechanism, whereby the driv r will have all of said mechanisms conveni ntly arranged for his use. l i

The object of "the invent-ionis to simplify such mechanism, and particularly to produce such a construction that the relation between the mechanisms for respectively op- 1 shall remain 'untrolling mechanism changed, however much either may be .op- 1 erated independently.

The invention consists of the eombination of parts-hereinafter described, and

. pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevatron, mostly m central section, of the mechanism'in which the present invention is emf bodied. Fig. '2 1s aside view of the lower art of said mechanism which is sectioned 1n the plane indicated by line 2-2, looking 2 in the direction of the arrow associated with Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a'plan view-of a part of the steering wheel and the mechanism adjacent thereto. F i 4 is a view of the upper and the crank by which for the steering shaft.C. A worm F is" formed upon the steering column, and the gear H is attached to said shaft C, whereby motion is. transmitted from the steering column to said shaft,.all of which is familiar construction.

Within the casing are two antifrictiou thrust bearings located respectively above and below the worm F, each of said bearings consisting of two hardened steel plates ll 'atolnted Jan. 11, 191i).

l t: k, the interposed halls 25 anda ball retainer k The steering wheel N is rigidly [secured to the upper end of the tubular -column B.'

5 Within the steering column is a throttle controlling tube F. having an externa-l'quick screw thread 0 at its upper end, which thread t engages with the internal threads of a tubular shaft or sleeve nut J which is rotatably mounted in the upper end of the steering column.

The :spark controlling operating rod or stafi' D extends longitudinally through the lube fl and said sleeve nut, projecting from the upper end of the latter. It also extends downward the whole length of the steering column and projects from the lower end this projecting lower end is acircumiere'ntial groove d. In the groove thereof, a. ring I is loosely fitted,the diameter of the hole in this ring being of such size as to permitconsiderable transverse movement thereof, relative to said rod.

M represents a rock shaft which'is journaled in the casing and projects out of the same so that motion transmitting mechanism may be connected with said projecting i end. A fork arm m fast to said rock shaft gWltllln the casing is pivotally connected with said ring, whereby endwise movement of rod D, will rock said rock shaft. The function of this rock shaft is to adjust the sparkingmechanism for the purpose of advancing or retarding the production of the v is no partof the present invention and any sparking mechanism adapted to be adjusted by said rock shaft may be employed.

To the lower end of the tube E,ivhich-is' above the upper end of easing A,-a collar or other form of enlargement e is rigidly 1 1 1 ignit ng spam. lhe sparking mechanism the steering column and is connected with this enlargement (K by means of screws 1) which are diametrically opposed and which pass through this sleeve and through longitiulinal slotslr in the steering column and screw into said enlargement. This construction prevents rotation of the tubclE, and also furmshes the connection between it and I sleeve P. In the lower part of this sleeve P l is an annular groove which receives a loose. fitting k-ollar fb. In a bracket arm a at- 'l'taehed to the dangers o shaft R is thereof into a part'of the casing A. In

secured. A. sliding sleeve P loosely embraces end of this shaft.

advance or retard the spark.

mounted; and to this rock shaft fork arms r are secured, which extend outside of this collar S,-said arms being pivotally connected thereto by diametrically opposed pins 2*. The longitudinal movement of the collar 1 will, through the described mechanism, rock the rock shaft R, which is to be connected by anysuitable mechanism with the throttling mechanism of theengine.

The tubular threaded stem (if a crank casing T is screwed into-the upper end of the rotatable nut J and is then secured to said nut-,by means of a pin t. This crank casing furnishes the bearings for a small rock Shaft-U which is provided, within the crank casing with a crank pin a which enters a transverse slotin the head (1 on the upper end of the rod D,wliich rod projects into said casing throu h the hollow stem thereof. This rock sha t is movable endwise in itsbearings a short distance, although not enoughto wlthdraw the crank pin from said slot. Outside of the crank casin a serrated disk 1/ is secured to this shatt, which is adapted to engage with correspondingly serrated surfaces t on the crank casing. An operating handle a is secured to the outer This rock shaft and its handle constitutes a hand grip by means of which the rod may be moved endwise. By turning this handle the shaft is turned and the rod D moved up or down, as required to A spring a within the casing acts with said shaft toward the rod, and thereby acts tohold said serrated surfaces in engagement to preventaccidental turning of said shaft This spring yields however, and permits the shaft to move endw se when suiiicient force 15 applied at the operatin handle to turn it.

The throttle lever W 1s rigidly fastened to this crank casing. The lever is preferably made of spring metal, having a tooth w on its under side, which is adapted to engage with the upper face of a ratchet segment a secured to the handle wheel By swing ing this lever along tlnsratchet segment-, the

crank casing and the sleeve nut to which it IS attached Wlll be turned in one direct-ion or another,.'relative to the column 13 thereby causing a corresponc'ling endwise movement of the tube E, which results, as stated, m'the rocking of the rock shaft- R which controls the throttle mechanism. The turning of the throttle lever, turns, as before stated, the

' crank casing which has no other'efiect on the rod 1) and the parts save to turn said rod;

The operating handles it and \V remain therefore always in the same relation to each other. The turning of the steering wheel 0t course has no effect upon either the tube E or rod D ekcept to cause them to turn in unison with the wheel. This, however, does riot/cause them or either of them to'movc endwise relatively to the' steering post 13,

and therefore does not cause any movementof the parts they are provided to operate.

A cap Y is screwed onto the top of the steering column just above the sleeve nut therein, and this cap prevents upward 'endwise movement of said nut. The enlargement of the casing just outside the cap prevents endwise downward movement of 'said 1 nut.

Having. thus described my invention, I claim: a

1; The combination of a rotatable-hollow steering column, a rotatable member mounted upon and projecting into the upper end of said column and having a threaded portion within said column, 1 means preventing the endwise movement; of said member, a tube E longitudinally movablein the steering column and having a threaded portion with which the threaded part-of said'member engages, a reciprocatory rod D passing axially through said member and through said tube E, means mounted upon said mem ber for movin said rod endwise, a. handle secured to said member for turning it, and mechanisms respectively. operated by the endwise movement of the tube E and rod D.

2. The combination of a hollow rotary steering column, a sleeve nut rotatably mounted in its upper end, and a crank casing fixed to said sleeve nut and a tube E longitudinally movable in said steering column and having external screw threads which are engaged by said sleeve nut, with a reciprocatory rod D passing through the stem of said crank casing and through said sleeve nut and through the tube E and through and out of the lower end of said steering column, mechanism mounted 1nv said-crank casing for moving said rod lengthwise, an operating handle securedto,

erated by-the endwise movements of the tube E and rod D. v

3. The combination with a hollow rotary steering column, of a sleeve nut rotatably mounted therein, and a piece rigidly secured thereto and extending beyond the upper end of said steering column, a handle secured to said piece whereby it and the sleeve nutmay be turned, and a rock shaft mounted in said piece, a longitudinally movable tube within the steering column having external threads near its upper end which are engaged by said sleeve nut, the rotation of said tube, a reciprocatory rod passing through said sleeve nut and tube and st-eeringicolumn, mechanism for transmitting motion froi n'said rock shaft to said fodfandindpendent mechanisms operated by the longitudinal movement of said tube and rod.

4. The combination of a rotatable steering column, a tubeplaced axiall" hollow;

means preventing" through the steering column, a crank shaft a crank Within said crank casing, said rod therein and having external screw threads near its upper end, a nut rotatably mounted in the upper end of the steering column, a cap screwed onto the steering column for holding said nut in, a crank casing having a stem which extends through said cap and into said sleeve nut to which it is made fast, a longitudinally movable rod passing through sald stem, and through the sleeve nut, and through the inclosed tube, and

mounted in said crank casing and having having a transverse slot in its upper end within said crank casing for the reception of the crank pin, and an arm secured to said crank casing for turning it and the sleeve nut, and. independent mechanisms operated severally by the said longitudinally movable tube and rod. i

In controlling mechanism for automobiles, the combination of a steering post, a shaft to control. the throttle valve of the carbureter, a vertically reciprocatory staff to actuate-the spark controlling device, mechanism to actuate said shaft, means carried upon said mechanism to actuate said staff, whereby said shaft and said staff may be actuated simultaneously or each independently the one of the other atthe will of the operator.

(3. In a controlling mechanism for automobiles the combination of a steering post I valve of the carbureter, a staff to actuate the spark controlling device, an oscillatory lever arm to actuate said shaft, a hand grip rotatable upon its axis carried by said lever arm to actuate said stafi, said lever and hand grip movable sunultaneously, and sand hand grip rotatable independently of the move ment of thellever at the will of the operator.

8. In a controlling mechanism for automobiles the combination of a steering post and its rim, a device to control the throttle valve of the carbureter, a device to actuate the spark controlling device, an oscillatory lever toactuate one of said controlling devices, and a hand grip carried upon said lever toactuate the other of said controlling devices.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

7 CHARLES SCHMIDT. \Vitnesses E. B. GILGHRIST, E. L. THUns'roN. 

